A Child's Sweet
by MBSAVfan1
Summary: Valentine's Day rolls around, but not everything is sweet. With a certain someone fighting with their parents, this definitely isn't shaping up to be the best holiday. But when each of the kids meet what one might call a 'childhood sweetheart', it seems things might not be so bad after all. I'm just gonna put this here so I don't have to worry about it later: I don't own Ice Age!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this was kinda-ish requested by laughs4life, who I especially want to apologize to ahead of time (and everyone else) is this is a bad story/start to it, I've been sick the past few days and can't really focus. But because Valentine's Day is in about two weeks, I figured I might as well get started. Hope you enjoy!**

Raz was so confused. She didn't get it. What the heck was going on? What had gotten into her parents? She was used to them being loving, but not like _this_. There wasn't a minute where they weren't kissing, nuzzling up against each other, holding paws, giving each other the grossest, yet sweetest and most romantic, compliments. It made her sick. After trying, and barely succeeding, to stomach a few bites of her breakfast and watching them be all mushy and romantic, she was practically _begging_ to be excused to go play.

"Oh bu' Sheila." Lalli protested. "Y've barel'eh touched yer mel'n!"

"Gee, Ah wonda why." Aaiden, two seats over from her, muttered sarcastically. He _hadn't_ touched his breakfast, not once. His eyes were instead glued on their parents, and not pleasantly. He couldn't tear his eyes away, no matter how much he wanted to. None of the six brothers could. Their varied fruits lay before them, just as they had half an hour ago, when their morning meal had been served.

"Huh?"

"Nothin mum."

Raz shook her head; and adults thought _five year olds_, such as herself, were oblivious? "Um, yh. Ah'm jus gonna go now. Ah can' take aneh'more a this!" she leapt off her little rock chair upon seeing her mother and father lean in for the thousandth kiss. "See ya!"

"Wai'! Oh no ye don'!" Jemal grabbed her arm, keeping her from leaving, although his green eyes looked more desperate than angry. "Ya aren' jus skippin outta this. If we hafta suffa" he plopped her back in her chair and took the vine attached to it, for when she was being stubborn and resistance and didn't want to eat. He tied it around her waist so it was like a strap; she wouldn't be going anywhere until he untied her. "Then so da you."

"This ain' fair!" she protested, squirming. "_Look _at em!" she pointed as Lalli covered her eyes and a moment later, was presented with a big bouquet of beautiful white roses. "Ah'm justa lil girl! Ah ain't s'posed ta beh e'xposed ta kissin an stuff!" she threw in extra emphasis on that last part, hoping to attract the attention of her again lip locked parents.

"Thas just'n excuse!" she shuddered and turned green under her fur. She couldn't take much more of this before her breakfast, no matter how little it was, ended up on the floor. Or Jemal's lap, depending how angry she still was when it happened. "Ye wain't goin nowhere bab'eh sis."

"Ah'm not'a baby!"

"Wha'eva."

"Raz, swee'art." Lalli called ova. "Finish half yer mel'n, ye can go play." Needless to say, the fruit on her plate disappeared so fast, it could have been inhaled.

"Kay, 'm done!" she practically shrieked. "Bye!"

"No' so fas'!" she'd nearly forgotten about her strap, which Blayke reached over and undid, knowing she'd get vine burn otherwise. However, before she could tumble out of her chair in pure enthusiasm, he grabbed her and put her down in his lap. "Wai a min'te Sheila.."

"Ah c'_mon_!" she whined. "Wha did Ah do ta d'serve this! Why da you 'ate meh?!"

"Weh don' sweetie." Lalli said to her. "Bu' weh needa ask ye some'n."

"Well hurr'eh! Ah gotta go ta th' forest!"

"Why's tha?" they usually played by the watering hole. "Whas so import'nt ye can' 'ave a five minute chate with yer mummy an daddy?"

"Ta throw up." She answered blandly, crossing her arms and giving them a serious, unhappy pout.

"Razmia!" she winced, they only used her full name when they were extremely worried. Or when her comments got her in trouble. Her mother gave her a stern look. "Now qui' bein sucha drama queen-"

"Princess!"

She sighed dramatically but grinned all the same, reaching over to tickle her sides. "Alrigh. Qui bein sucha drama _princ'ss_ and listen."

She giggled and swatted her mother's paws away, pretending to think about it for a moment. "Ok."

"Good Sheila." Her father praised, ruffling her ears. "Now was tha s'ard?"

Lalli didn't give her a chance to answer. "Look. This fam'ly jus moved in on th' otha side'a th' vall'eh, and theh've gotta son bout yer age."

"…An?"

"_An_ weh'd like ya ta show 'im aroun. Intr'duce 'im ta yer frien's."

"Awww _mummy_!" she protested. "Bu me an th' boys're playin pir'tes t'day! Weh fina'lly go' th cann'ns done- Ah been trainin fer weeks!"

"_What_ cannons?"

"Starboard." she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"…Wha're cann'ns?" Tadao asked.

"Yer kiddin, righ?"

"Nope."

"Ugh, neva min'. Mah poin' is" she looked up at her mother. "Ah can'. Ah've go' plans. I' 'll take meh days ta git mah balance righ. Ah can' go round showin s'me new guy roun- Ah gotta practice!"

"Well t' bad." Blayke said in a stern voice that sound foreign even to him. "Yer gonna. Iss' been decided."

"Bu-"

"No buts."

"Bu' _mummy_!" she complained. "Weh don' need n'more crewmase! Ah'm weap'n handler"

"W'pn handler?"

"Silas's ar lookou"

"Lookout?"

"Gunner's ar cap'n"

"Captain?"

"Shira's 'is firs' mate"

Lalli clamped a hand over her mouth. "Slow down Sheila. Wha're ye talkin bout?"

"Ar crew! 'oose who."

"Um…" that sounded kind of a dangerous game to Lalli. If it could be called that. "Sheila, listen, please." She begged. "If ye jus…"

"Jus wha?" Raz waited for a moment, but her mother was silent. Lalli wasn't sure how to put it into words. After about thirty seconds of not getting an answer, the little five year old joey spoke again. "Mah poin is" she hopped down off her father's lap, putting out her arms for balance. "No room. Weh alread'eh got a wole crew- 'less some'ns down fer th' coun, there's no way th' boys'll le'im stay."

"Then yer jus gonna hafta no' play with em!"

"_What_?!" they couldn't be serious! They were her best friends! She couldn't just- just _not_ play with them! They need each other! "Bu daddy-"

"Eitha ye let'im tag long ta yer game, 'er ye jus show 'im round. Yer choice. Eitha way, e's stickin with ya t'day."

"Thas no' fair!"

"Thas perf'ctly fair!"

"Bu-"

"Raz!" by now her parents shouted, leaving the joey afraid. They'd never shouted at her before. At least, not at the same time. "Weh make theh rules round 'ere! Yer gonna do as weh say!"

Her ears lowered. "Fine." She agreed reluctantly, eyes cast toward the ground. "Ah hate you." It was nearly silent, but everyone heard. Aaiden dropped his apple. Jemal choked on his blueberries. Tadao spewed his pineapple juice. Lalli's eyes filled with tears, and Blayke's mouth dropped.

The joey slapped her paws over her mouth as she realized what she'd said. She'd just been so mad, caught up in her anger at her parents not understanding… "Mummy, daddy, Ah-" her mother was already gone. Blayke stared after her for a moment, before shaking his head solemnly at his daughter. "Daddy, I-"

Aaiden leaned down to her. "Jus go Sheila." He murmured. "'Fore 'e blows 'is top." The hurt was evident in his own voice, even if the horrible three words hadn't been directed at him.

The little set of golden eyes grew large and filled to the brim with saltwater, then she turned and fled, nearly bowling over a reddish brown figure she didn't recognize, but she didn't care. Whoever-it-was cried out in surprise, but she didn't stop. The little girl continued on towards the forest, where she was most likely not to be found, crying silently. Oh man had she ever screwed up…

It had been maybe thirty minutes of quiet crying when the joey had a surprise sprung on her. A hand laid itself on her shoulder, one with a familiar shape. Two extensively long fingers, two regularly sized, and one thumb, gently stroking her fur. She was even more surprised to hear a familiar accent, although the voice was unknown.

"There there Sheila." A smooth Australian voice consoled. "Whas th' matt'ah? Why ya cryin?"

She looked up, surprised, into the blue eyes she'd never seen before. Taking in the details, the stature maybe an inch or two taller, the familiar forward facing eyes, pushed in snout, two toe claws, smooth red pelt- she couldn't help but blinking in shock. She hadn't seen another kangaroo that wasn't part of her family in about two years.

"Who…" she was slightly taken aback by those deep blue eyes that were gazing at her own metallic ones with such kindness, and seemed to have momentarily lost her ability to speak. "Who ar' ya?"

"Th' names Aarjay." He sat down beside her. "So whas got ye so 'pset? An on sucha happ'eh day." She didn't know if he just meant the weather or what, but his words sparked something in her. There was something she was forgetting, she was sure of it. Something to do with why her parents were being so especially loving.

Oh. Her parents…

"I- Ah…" she took a deep breath, eyes stinging again. "Ah sai' some'n reall'eh mean ta mah fam'ly."

"Oh c'mon." he encouraged, smiling gently. "'m sure i' wasn' _tha _bad."

"Ah sai' Ah 'ated em!" she snapped, beginning to cry again. "An there neva gonna f'rgive me!"

"Oh…" she heard a sympathetic sigh, and after a moment, a set of arms just big enough to fasten around her shoulders, pull her into an embrace. Normally she would've protested if some almost-stranger (all she knew was his name!), but she need this offered comfort. She needed a hug. "There there…" he murmured. "Ah'm sure theh will… an Ah know ye didn't mean i'."

"'Ow-" she choked on a sob. "'Ow daya know tha?" it was very true, she by no means had meant it, but she couldn't help being curious how he knew.

The mysterious boomer stroked her ears. "No'n means i' when theh say theh 'ate some'n No matt'ah 'ow mad theh ar." She smiled against his fur. "An 'sides" he pushed her back and carefully wiped her tears. "If ya did, why wouldja be cryin bout it?"

He made a fair point, she supposed… "So… Aarjay, righ?"

"Aye, thas i'."

"So…" suddenly she felt nervous. "Ye wanna… mayb'eh c'me play with me and mah friens?"

He looked delighted. "Can Ah? Ah'm knew 'ere, don' realla know any'n."

"Well sure." She answered happily. "Ah don' see why no'."

"Thanks, um…" he paused, looking a bit embarrassed. "Ah didn' catch yer name Sheila."

"Raz." She answered a little anxiously, still feeling a bit flustered for unknown reasons.

"Righ then." He bent down and plucked a a pretty pink and yellow flower off the forest floor, laying it in her paws. "Jus mah way a sayin thank ya." He explained upon seeing her confused face. "A prett'eh flow'a fer a prett'eh Sheila."

She blushed, finding the compliment actually, well, _complimenting_, and not gross, like she usually would if a boy called her pretty. "Th-Thanks…"

They stood in silence for a moment, before she nodded to the right. "Les go then. Th' boys'll love ya." She still couldn't figure out what was so special about this day… whatever it was, it was making her warm up to him faster than she usually would, she figured. What was so special about today… oh goodness, if only she could remember…

**So… what did you think? Sorry if it's bad. Please review! Oh, and should I have some of the others have new little friends as well? Whether they just be visiting the valley or travelling or something? Anyone with votes? Any at all? Please, I need some instruction, I'm a very indecisive person!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! New chapter! Sorry for any mistakes or if this one's bad too, like I said, I'm sick. And it's past my bedtime, so I'm tired too. But I hope this makes for a decent chapter. If not, tell me, and I'll go in tomorrow, redo, and repost. Enjoy if you can!**

Squint was annoyed. Very, very annoyed. There was this new girl visiting the valley for a few days, his mother and hers were old friends. And because Julie and Kate wanted some girl time, they sent the two off to play. Which was basically the worst thing ever.

It's not that Lisa wasn't nice; she was. Very much so. She was very talkative and sweet, trying to make nice with her new potential friend. If they were to spend the day together, she wanted him to like her. "So, um, Squint?"

He looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"Where're we going?" she flicked back her extra long ears, which were flopping in her face. Being a loppy eared rabbit, they were always in her face. But she tolerated it. Mostly.

"The bog."

Her big purple eyes lit up. "Ooh! That sounds fun! What're we gonna do there?"

'_Well, if we're lucky, not run into my friends._' He thought bitterly, and was half tempted to say it, but remembered his mother's warning. He was to be nice to her, make the little girl feel welcome. "Might play pirates. Dunno."

"Oh…" she didn't want to sound stupid, but asked her next question all the same. "…What's that?"

He looked at her with big, big eyes, something she found ironic compared to his name. She wondered where in the world his parents had come up with that in the first place… "You- you're kidding right?" she was silent. "Oh _tell me_ you're kidding!"

She giggled nervously. "…Nope."

"Ok… I've got _a lot_ ta teach you." And with that, he grabbed her hand and they started running, Lisa laughing.

The little doe couldn't help blushing- this boy was holding her hand! Just to get her to hussle, but still! That was a big deal, although she wasn't sure in a way… part of her was screaming '_Ew, boys are gross_!' while the other part said '_But he _is_ just trying to be nice_'. She wasn't sure if it was half and half, or what percentage.

They arrived near the back wall of the valley, where the ground was mushy and the trees had become very thick. "Um…" she tilted her head.

"Welcome to the bog." He shoved aside a large patch of leaves, and a large path was revealed.

"Cool!"

He smiled. "I know. C'mon." he grabbed her hand again, making her smile. "Stay close. You could fall in if ya don't know where yer goin. Got it?" she nodded and gripped his fingers tighter. It was Squint's turn to blush; he'd never really been around girls his age. Well… except for Shira and Raz, but they didn't count. They weren't even the same species, and they didn't make him feel all nervous and… flustered. Like he wanted to… to impress her.

As they went along, hopping from rocks and squishy ground, Lisa's ears flopped in front of her big blue eyes again. Annoyed, she huffed and let go of Squint's paws, but continued walking, struggling to fix her ears. It only took a few moments, but that was enough. One step further to the right than her guide, and suddenly the ground was gone. The little kit gave a strangled scream as she was suddenly submerged.

Squint tried not to panic, but that was hard, he dropped down on the ground where the 'ground' had given way, which was really a large chunk of brown and green moss. He plunged his arm in and groped downwards, hoping, praying- there! He made a grab at the object, and struggled to haul the girl out of the water.

She was shivering and crying, dripping water and moss everywhere. "…L-Lisa?" he took a hesitant step forward. "You o-" she suddenly had her arms around him and was sobbing, terrified, into his chest. He hesitantly hugged back, feeling guilty but relieved, Lisa wouldn't have fallen in if he hadn't brought her here… but at least she was safe. Ultimately shaken up, but safe.

"Oh, th-thank you!" she gasped. "I- I thought I was gonna d…" she couldn't finish and began to bawl again.

It took awhile, but eventually she calmed down. "You ok now?"

"Y-Yeah." She pulled away and shook herself off, before fixing her ears yet again.

"We should do something about those. They almost got you drowned."

"Oh, believe me, I'd _love _to." She agreed. "But what can we do."

"Well…" he looked around, before his eyes landed on something not faraway. "There!' he picked up a rock cautiously and threw it, just to be sure. When it bounced, he fearlessly went out to it. He pulled the vine down with a little difficulty, then presented it to her.

"Ooh… pretty!"

"Here. Turn around." She did as he said, and felt it wrapping around her ears. The pretty flowering vine, with teeny pink and white blossoms all over it, was tied around her ears in a cute bow. The very center of the bow was twisted so the flowers made a heart.

"Woah…" she checked her reflection in the water she'd previously fallen in. "Wow! It looks so cool! Whadda you think?"

"Oh, u-um…" he debated for a moment. Should he tell her the truth? Deciding he should, he took a deep breath, and told her what he thought. "Ya- Ya look real pretty."

She stared at him for a minute, blinking… before giggling in delight and throwing her arms around him. "Oh thank you! That's so nice!" she snuggled against him thankfully for a minute, before they broke apart, holding paws in between them for a moment, just watching each other, enjoying the peaceful moment… the slow, sluggish sound of the gurgling water going past them and around rocks, chirping of crickets, sweet smell of wild, reclusive flowers that could only be found in this part of the bog…

"So, um…" he hated to break the peaceful moment, but Squint knew that if he didn't show up soon, his friends would come looking for him, making sure he hadn't drowned. "Should we keep going?"

"Oh, um, right!" she agreed. Her blue eyes flicked down, and she realized their fingers were interlocked. He, wondering what she was looking at, glanced down as well, before his brown orbs shot wide. They each took a step apart, stuttering incomprehensively. Good grief if someone saw that…

They started up again, but Lisa, after nearly drowning, was too scared to just walk behind him, despite the danger of her vision being blocked again had been fixed, so there was only one solution. She wanted to hold his hand again. She slid her fingers in between his, and at his surprised, questioning look, she gave him a pleading look. He rolled his eyes, but allowed it all the same. She smiled again and they kept on, the female kit with a little hop in her step, making her ears sway.

"So Squint."

"Yeah?"

"What're your friends like?" they climbed over a rock, him sliding down first, before gesturing for her to follow. She did, but slipped a little and ended up with her having to steady him. He set her back on her feet and nodded for them to continue, offering her his hand. She took it happily, and he began to answer her question.

"They're really nice, and tons'a fun ta play with!" he began enthusiastically. "We do all sortsa stuff, but pirates the most. Yer gonna love our ship!"

"Ship?"

"Yeah! We just finished putting in the starboard cannons, and put in a slide and ladder so you can get in and out below deck easier-" he babbled on, while Lisa listened in awe.

"Sounds like fun!" she exclaimed. "Do you play everyday?"

"Mm, not _every_day." He answered honestly. "But most of em! The only times we don't is when one of us can't, cuz then we don't have a whole crew. And you can't be pirates without a crew!"

"Um, Squint?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that it?" she raised her free paw to point.

He looked and found, sure enough, they had arrived. "Yep." He nodded. "Cool huh?"

She nodded. "Wow… you guys did _all_ that?"

He nodded proudly. "Yep."

"That's… _really_ cool."

"I know. Come on!" he began to tug her in the direction of the gangplank that they'd set up. "I'll show ya the top deck, then maybe we can get Silas to take ya ta the crow's nest."

"The _what_?" they were going to be invading a crow's home?

"Never mind." He dismissed as they began to climb up the vines coating it to make it easier. Upon noticing his new friends was struggling, he reached down and offered her his paw. She took it, and he dragged her up. "Hold on." He put one arm around her shoulder, and she in turn did the same. They were soon standing on the deck. "See? That wasn't too-"

"Hey Squint." A smooth, eloquent indian voice spoke behind him. "Whose your _girlfriend_?"

The rabbit groaned internally. Oh no…

**Well? Was that too bad? I hope it was decent. I have to go to bed now, so I'md kinda tired, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. Like I said, still sick, so that won't help either, but I'm feeling a little better, if anyone cares. Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi. Well, I'm still miserable. I apologize for updating at… almost two a.m., but I slept from about four o'clock to nearly midnight, so I figured I might as well get something done until I can fall asleep again. Wish this stupid cough would go… and I just realized I had the last of the chicken soup earlier… sigh. Maybe I can get my sister to go buy me some more, we live like, a block from the store.**

**Enough of my whining! Please enjoy!**

Gupta still didn't know what to think. This new girl, Jezzabelle, was… something else. Not in a bad way, just different to what he was used to. She was shy and kind of jumpy, but nice once she warmed up to you. She was quiet as he gave her a quick tour; didn't want her getting lost. She and her family were travelling, and had asked permission to stay in the valley to rest for a few days. They'd been welcomed warmly, which pleased her parents… but Gupta was quick to leave with their daughter, and was glad he did. Not three minutes later, a shrill scream echoed through the air, and he knew her mother had met one of the sabers.

"So, um… Jezzabelle, right?"

She nodded cautiously, looking nervous. "Y-Yeah. That's right."

"You know" he moved in front of her to look into her emerald eyes, to be sincere. "You don't have to be afraid. I von't hurt you."

"Oh, I- I know." She assured him. "I just…" she took a breath, considering fessing up. The young badger cub decided she might as well, considering they'd only be here for a few days and he wouldn't be around to tease her for very long if he thought her weird because of it. "The last time I was around other kids…" she sighed. "We… we were almost ki…" the word caught in her throat. "Vell, someone could have been very hurt. There was a… a rockslide. I was caught under one… my leg vas broken. It's a miracle I'm still here."

She bowed her head and folded her paws against her stomach, waiting for him to tease her, call her silly for living in the past, letting still-present fear of past experiences rule her life. To say she was surprised to feel him hug her was probably the biggest understatement of the ice age.

But she didn't protest. She gladly hugged back, suddenly upset, the fear again fresh in her mind, bringing tears to her eyes. It felt like forever since she'd gotten a hug; after the accident, she grew reclusive and… distant from her parents. It wasn't of her choice; she did it out of fear of hurting them. Those other kids taunted her, teased her, called her a _curse_. Anyone near her was bound get hurt. That was why she distanced herself from them, she didn't want to hurt the two single most important people she'd ever know in her relatively short five year life.

She didn't want to hurt them, that's why she was so jumpy. Looking for danger. "P-People call me bad luck." She whimpered to him, a small sob escaping. "I… I just don't wanna hurt anyone! If something happened to you, or your friends…" she didn't finish as a few tears finally spilled over, and her new potential friend patted her back, murmuring gently to her. Soon she was shaking violently, sobbing silently, tears dripped onto his shoulder, where her head rested, eyes clenched shut as she wept.

Gupta wasn't entirely sure what to do; he'd never really had to deal with a crying girl before. Every so often, his sisters all got moody and emotional- if they weren't shrieking in anger they were bawling. But when they got like that, he went to hide in his room, holding a pillow fearfully over his head. Teenagers were scary!

And Raz and Shira rarely cried, less they were really upset or had hurt themselves, and often preferred to isolate themselves or go seek out their mothers when they cried, so he never really had to deal with it. So he just did his best to mimic his mother, holding her gently against his chest and just letting her release her tears, whispering what he was pretty sure were comforting things in her ears, rubbing her back gently.

She calmed down after half an hour, and he gently pushed her back, and carefully wiped what he could of her tears, not wanting to get too close to her eyes and accidentally scratch her with his long, long claws. As she mopped up the rest on her wrists, he bent down and picked up what he thought to be a pretty flower, bright pink with red spots.

Flowers always seemed to cheer his mother up when she was down. He held it out to her, and she took it, kind of hesitantly. She smelled it for a minute, smiling dreamily, sighing in pleasure at the sweet scent. Then she tucked it beside her left ear, smiling happily at her new friend. "Th-Thanks Gupta." She sniffed once more and rubbed one slightly agitated eye, sure she wasn't going to cry again. "I… I preciate it."

"Oh…" he looked flustered. "You're welcome. But really, no problem. I'm happy to help."

She smiled at this shifted her weight for a moment, wringing her paws, trying to overcome her indecisiveness. After a moment, she managed to accomplish her goal, surging forward and wrapping her arms around him in a grateful hug. "Really, thanks." She sighed, snuggling into his warm fur. Now that she'd had a hug again, having forgotten what it felt like, she couldn't get enough. After a moment, he hugged back. "I…" she sounded embarrassed, but felt strangely confident in this embrace, a feeling she was far from used to. "I kinda… _forgot_ how good this feels. Hugs I mean."

Gupta was so surprised he could have fainted. She hadn't been hugged in so long she'd _forgotten_ how awesome it felt?! Wow… that was kind of sad. Actually, very sad. "You're welcome Jezzabelle." He said to her. "Nobody she not be hugged. 'Specially not you."

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Vell…" he didn't want to break up the friendly moment, but knew they should continue to the bog. If poor Jezzabelle didn't have friends, by the sound of it, she _needed_ to meet his. They could show her she wasn't bad luck, she could be loved by peers her age. And, in turn, maybe that would give her the courage to fix things with her parents,

"Come on then. Our friends are waiting."

"_Our_ friends?" she asked, looking disbelieving but incredibly happy.

He nodded. "Our friends." The look he got was so… purely joyful, he couldn't help the sudden wave of warmth that washed over him. Seeing her happy made him happy. "Come on then."

She nodded and sprung a big surprise on him. She grabbed his hand, their claws slipping past each other into a warm embrace. While he looked surprised, he didn't pull back. Instead, he gave her hand a squeeze, and they started walking again, swinging their arms merrily between each other.

Later on, while they were following the path that wound deep into the forbidden bog, Jezzabelle glanced nervously to the side and nearly jumped right out of her perfectly groomed fur as a fish leapt out of the water not a foot away, sprinkling them with swamp water. "G-Gupta?"

"Hm? Yes?"

"Um… I-I'm not gonna fall in, am I?"

"Of course not." He stopped to give her a reassuring look, patting her shoulder. "I von't let you."

"P- Promise?"

"I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise." He wrapped his smallest finger/claw around hers, laying the other paw over it, patting the intertwine firmly. "I von't let you get hurt."

She grinned gratefully. "Good." And they continued walking, holding hands. Soon, they arrived at a looming slab of rock, with a wooden slanting… thing leading from their solid ground to the hulking mass… in the middle of what looked to be some seriously deep water.

"U- Um…" she stuttered nervously. "_Please_ tell me that isn't it."

He didn't seem to register her fear. "Yep. Come on!"

"Oh…" she whimpered as he began to lead her up, making sure to keep a firm grip on the vines at all times. She was _very_ relieved when she saw him hoist himself up on top, before bending down and offering her his hand, pulling her up, not noticing the mischievously smiling white form creeping closer.

"BOO!" they both squeaked and jumped, spinning around. Jezzabelle screeched in fear and nearly had a heart attack at the white saber standing there, laughing heavily, while Gupta glared.

"Shira! That's not funny!"

"I thought it was!"

"You scared Jezzabelle!"

She stopped laughing. "Who?"

"Jezzabelle. My new friend." He pulled her, with some difficulty, out from behind him. She was stiff and wide eyed, trembling. "Um… Jezzabelle?"

She teetered on her feet, and he was thankful when she feel backwards and he caught her. She wasn't unconscious (at least, as far as they could tell), just in shock; stiff with her eyes wide and dilated. Shira had really scared her; she probably assumed they were going to be eaten. The two friends remembered it wasn't normal for herbivores and carnivores (or omnivores, in Gupta and Jezzabelle's case) to be friends. And the appearance of a highly dangerous predator near the very top of the food chain probably didn't help convince her she wasn't bad luck…

"Jezzabelle? Jezzabelle!" he gently laid her down on the deck and asked Silas, who was perched in a nearby tree that was used as a mast, talking with another petrel chick, to go fetch some water. He did as he said, and soon there was a small gourd of water beside them, which he used to gently splash her face. It seemed kind of mean, but necessary.

She sat bolt upright at the third splash, rubbing her eyes, drying her fur. "Wha…" she looked around, a little dazed. "What happ-" her eyes landed on Shira and she squeaked.

"Jezzabelle, please, don't-" she screamed shrilly, making the saber desperately clutch one ear, doing her best to press the other to her shoulder, sensitive ears pulsing in pain.

"Ow!"

"Freak out."

"Oi, wha w's tha?" an Australian called from below. At first, he thought it to be Raz, but then noticed it wasn't… her. Just the tiniest bit deeper, not quite as high. But that was the least of his troubles, Jezzabelle was back on her feet, shaking, staring at the scowling saber with big eyes.

"Jezzabelle, please! Let me explain!" he begged. "She's my friend!"

"Friend?!" she asked in shock, voice higher than usual. "You're _friends_ with a deadly predator that'll probably eat for a snack someday?!"

"Hey!" Shira looked offended. "I wouldn't do that to my friends!"

"Girls, please." Gupta said desperately, trying to placate both females, who looked angry. "Just calm-"

"Stay out of it!"

"Yes mam." He replied obediently. If there was one thing that scared him, it was when two girls got angry and yelled the same thing at him, at the same time. It was freaky weird.

While they resumed their glaring match, he hesitantly slid on arm around Jezzabelle's shoulders and started to lead her away. "Please." He murmured. "She's… dangerous when she's angry. Just let her cool down. You two can start over." She 'hmph'ed and crossed her arms, but went with him all the same, sending the predatory kitten (just the word made her seem harmless) a spiteful glance over her shoulder.

Her anger, however, was quelled by curiosity as she noticed a gray paw reaching up over the edge of the gangplank, and soon pulled up two little, about four inch tall, rabbits, a boy and a girl. "Um, Gupta?"

"Yeah?"

"Who're they?" she pointed at his questioning look.

He grinned upon seeing the two, despite one being a complete stranger. Seizing the opportunity to make himself, and maybe Jezzabelle, laugh, he smirked slyly and called out to his highly temperamental friend "Hey Squint. Whose you _girlfriend_?"

**And… done. I'm gonna go take some Nyquil and see if I can get some more sleep, though I've already had a whole night's worth of sleep from my 'nap'. Anyway, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, new chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

Silas didn't know what to think. Abelie and her family had fallen right out of the sky. Or, really, her mother did. Literally. With the sun suddenly shining in her eyes, her mother, Safia, had had a collision with… well, he didn't know what. However, he did know, that in result, she had dislocated her wing. It was only minor; Lalli (who for some reason, when they found her, was crying her eyes out and looking very depressed) was able to reset it with ease. She advised she stay off it for a day or two, until the pain went away and it had time to adjust a little. Just in case.

So, while Denisha, Andre, and Zaida (who was absolutely delighted to have company) kept poor Safia and her mate, Damian, company, he was sent out to show Abelie around.

She was pure white, much like his sister, a rare thing to his kind, but her eyes were what surprised him. They were an electrifying, _bright_, yet soft, violet. They were… mesmerizing. He'd never seen eyes such as those. He caught himself more than once staring at them with wonder. They twinkled like gems, shining elegantly like the moon; serene and modest, but dazzling.

"Ms. Abelie?"

"_Oui_?" she, too, was French.

"I am curious. Where was ze destination of you and your _famille_?"

"Mother wished for some time away from our home. It has become quite… wild. No discipline. No rules. And when…" she suddenly looked troubled, slowing her flight. Sensing something was wrong, the other chick nodded to a branch they were passing. Fluttering to a stop, she landed gracefully on the tree limb, the other of her species landing beside her.

"Is something… ze matter?" she ruffled her wings and turned her head away. "Come now, tell me. I won't tell a soul."

"Well…"

"It's not healthy to keep things inside, you know." He pointed out gently, reaching over and gently moving her face so he could look her in the eye, willing himself not to get lost in those big, gem-like… beautiful- no! Focus! "You can tell me. You should."

"It's just that…" she sighed, and she suddenly had tears gathering in her eyes, making her purple orbs glisten, big and googly… focus! "Well, you see…"

"Yes?" he prompted gently.

For a moment she stood their, eyes wet and big, shaking slightly, whimpering… she burst into tears. She couldn't help it. The painful memories just came flooding back… and she lost it. Water flooded her face, and suddenly she was sobbing loudly, pulling away and plunking down, burying her face in her wings, not wanting to see his disgusted reaction. She was expected to be proper, controlled, poised! And here she was, blubbering like a baby. Goodness what would he say?

She was surprised to feel a wing lay itself on her shoulder, patting it gently, before the sound of someone settling beside her gathering her trembling form in a hug.

Silas wasn't, exactly, sure what she was upset. Her words as she explained were choked and jumbled; between the sobbing and sniffling and slight hiccupping, he could barely comprehend a word. Something about an older brother, and a massive fire… oh. If his assumption was correct… this poor girl. No wonder she was crying.

Abelie calmed down soon enough, and he gently pushed her back, wiping her tears, before offering her a leaf tissue. She took it, dabbing at her eyes hurriedly, mopping up the remaining tears. "Th- Thank you." Her voice was still choked, although to be honest, she felt much better. He was right; keeping things bottled up did no good and actually intensified the sad feelings over time. It had done the little chick much good to get all those tears out. "I kind of need zat."

"No need to thank me. What are friends for?"

She smiled slightly. "We're friends?"

"But of course." He stood up, offering her a wing. She took it gladly, and she rose as well. "Why would we not be?"

She giggled. "I don't know."

"Come on then." He cast his eyes over to the bog, which they could see the very entrance of from their high perch. "Our friends await. Mustn't be tardy."

She nodded in agreement. "Alright then. Shall we?"

"We shall." And they took off.

The two fluffy chicks (Silas was glad to find someone who shared that characteristic as well) chased each other chased each other through the air, Silas leading her to their place of play.

Out of breath from laughing, the two children landed, kind of wobbly, on a branch of a young tree just inside the bog. The humid air was making Abelie's feathers puff even more, if possible. The two shared looks for a moment, before bursting out in laughter. The female was quite pleased; she hadn't laughed this much in forever.

After they calmed down, something caught Abelie's eyes. "Oh my…" she breathed in amazement. "What… what kind of flower _is_ zat?" He looked over. Somehow tangled up in a bunch of lilacs, was a large lily. It was bright magenta pink with pure white stripes, one on each petal, originating from the very center. "It's beautiful!"

"Mm, yes…" suddenly, an idea sparked in his head. "Would you like it?"

She gasped happily, making him smile triumphantly. Yep, this would surely impress her. "Can I?"

"But of course. I will get it for you."

"You will?!"

"Of course."

"Zat's so sweet! Thank you!"

"_Pas de probleme_." He quickly flew over, grabbing the lily in his beak, tugging it away. A few strands of lilacs were wrapped decoratively around the stem, making it smell all the sweeter.

As he presented it to her, she couldn't help breathing in amazement. Sit was even more beautiful up close. "It's _lovely_!"

He bowed, somewhat teasingly. "For you."

She giggled and bowed back, taking it. She smelt it; so fresh and fragrant! She hugged her new friend in thanks, and he took the small lily blossom, managing to weave the lilac strands into a ring. Placing it gently on her head, he adjusted it to the lily was off to the side, making a beautiful decoration.

"Oh thank you!" She practically squealed as she fluttered down to stand on a log, checking her reflection. "It's so beautiful!"

"_Convenu_. You look lovely." She giggled and blushed, but said nothing, just giving him a soft, sweet look. She stepped closer and nuzzled up against her beloved new friend; he was the first he had in years. After the death of her brother, she closed herself off from peers her age.

"_Merci_." She whispered. "_Merci_. Thank you."

He put a wing around her, smiling. "You're quite welcome."

They would've stayed in the comfortable embrace for a while longer, but soon, two voices behind them were heard. Not wanting to be caught, they both shared reluctant looks and took to the skies. Silas lead Abelie to their ship, perching in a tree that served as a mast, beginning to talk.

He was surprised to see Gupta arrive with a little badger sow about his age. He paid it no mind though; he was hardly one to criticize.

Abelie was thanking him for the millionth time (both their ears still ringing slightly from the new girl's scream, taking a fright from Shira) when he heard Gupta call out teasingly "Hey Squint. Whose your _girlfriend_."

Oh dear. This wouldn't go down well… he could just tell. But he hoped otherwise.

**Well? It felt so weird typing sweet, innocent little kids talking so grown up and proper and… it just felt weird!**

**Anyway, I've decided I'd do a little introduction to each new chapter via how they met, leading up to the big scene where they all meet.**

**Sorry if this sucks; still sick and unfocused. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter! I think I may be starting up another role.**

**Hey, I need someone's advice. I want to give Dobson a little friend, but I've noticed he seems to be very ignored. Does anyone want a chapter about him? I want him, but I don't want to make anyone feel like I'm trying to waste their time. I think it'd be fun to venture into a character we know pretty much nothing about, but at the same time, I don't want to make it unbelievable. I don't want to neglect the poor guy, I wanna give him some credit, but what do you think?**

**Enjoy!**

Flynn was underwater when he first saw her. As it was Valentine's day, he'd given his older sister a pretty pink heart of leaves, with some little white flowers glued around the edges with tree sap. She'd asked her little brother to come for a quick swim with her, and they were currently playing hide and seek. Underwater. As their kind could hold their breath for almost two hours, it would be a long game.

It was early morning, the sun still rising. In result, the waters were a million shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. Which was pretty cool; it was fun to try and swim through the colors and catch them. Not that he could ever succeed, but still.

He skimmed along the bottom, being careful not to kick up too much, as it would probably alert his sister. As he went around, a shadow suddenly passed over him, blocking out the sunlight that filtered down through the water. He looked up and saw the form of another seal glide overhead; Rosalynn! He slowly began swimming the other way, watching carefully. He liked this game, he didn't want it to end already!

As he went, trying to keep his eyes on his sister, he suddenly crashed into something. But it wasn't rock; it was actually very soft and didn't hurt at all. He was sent tumbling back, somersaulting a couple times. He straightened curiously and shook his head; what in the world?

He looked and was quite surprised to find himself staring at a pair of pale blue eyes. Literally. They weren't an inch apart, nearly touching. They blinked, he blinked. They stared at each other for a moment, before simultaneously backing away.

It was another seal pup; a girl, judging by her long eyelashes. They circled around each other, curious, watching one another for a moment. Suddenly, a wide grin spread on her face and she waved shyly over at him. He waved back, before hesitantly coming a little closer. She looked slightly frightened, but he gave her a gentle smile, and she untensed. He hesitantly held out one flipper, and her smile stretched. She reached out and took it, and he began to pull her up the surface. They swam slowly alongside each other, gasping as they took in air.

The pale blue eyes, which he now noticed had a green tint, turned to his. "'Ello there." She greeted in a distinct biritish accent not unlike his own. Her voice was cheery and full of joy. "So nice ta fin'lly meet someone!"

"Hi!" He cheerily answered. "What're you name?"

She giggled giddily. "Raelynn!" she chirped. "What's yours?"

"My name's Flynn!"

She giggled again and clapped. "Oh goody! I'm so glad to make a new friend!"

"Me too!" he agreed, nodding. They began to talk; they got along well. Neither were what one would call the sharpest barb of coral in the sea, but that made them get along all the way. He was so caught up chatting with her, just floating their on their backs, he didn't notice the underwater shadow slinking closer, closer…

The boy cried out in surprise as he was suddenly yanked underwater. Raelynn, who preferred to be called Rae, gasped in alarm and ducked beneath the surface. Rubbing her eyes to get them used to the water, she saw him being held by a much older seal, not full grown though, a teenager.

Was she a threat? Tentatively, she swam a little closer, tapping this new character on the shoulder. She whipped toward her, surprised, looking ready to issue defense if needed, but her eyes melted. She got a look in her eyes that said something like '_Awww. How cute_!'.

Rosalynn nodded up to the surface, and the little pup obliged. When they arrived, Rosalynn instantly cooed "Oh my gish! Aren't you just the cutest thing ever?!"

Rae giggled. "Th-Thanks." She said shyly, twiddling her flippers. Flynn slipped of Rosalynn's (or Rosie, as he called her) chest, coming to float beside his new friend.

His big sister suddenly grinned deviously. "Am I interrupting something here?"

They both glance questioningly at each other. "We were just playin together." The girl answered.

"Yeah!" Flynn agreed. "Rae-Rae's really nice!"

"Awwww…" he had a nickname for her. "My baby brother's first crush!" she squealed. "Oh, I gotta tell mom!" she dove underwater and spread away.

Rae looked over at her new friend. "What was that all about?"

"I dunno." He answered, shrugging. "Teenager'sre so confusing."

"I know, huh?"

"Yep."

She suddenly reached over and tapped his shoulder. "You're it!" and she slipped underwater. He laughed and hurried after her.

They played together in the lake for a couple hours; it was about ten a.m. when they finally dragged themselves onto chore, breathing hard. "That was so much fun!" Rae exclaimed, giggling as she lay down beside him, staring up at the clouds, one shifting to resemble a heart. "You're a fun friend Flynn." She murmured, suddenly feeling kind of sleepy as the sun's gentle raise made her skin tingle as she dried. She scooted closer and snuggled up against him. "I like you."

He took her flipper. "I like you too Rae-Rae!" he said happily. "I'm glad we're friends!"

"Me too!"

As they watched the clouds, just enjoying the peace and one another's presence, Flynn spotted two small forms gliding across the sky. One was definitely Silas, and the other looked kind of like Zaida, but he knew the six month old still couldn't yet fly. And that one looked bigger, more Silas' size. Who was that? Had Silas made a new friend to play with?!

Sitting up, he remembered that they always went to the bog to play this time of day, before lunch. Getting up, he pulled the other pup up with him. "Come on Rae-Rae!" he exclaimed excitedly. "You wanna meet my other friends?"

She looked delighted. "Sure! Oh yes yes!"

"Ok! Come on!" and he began to lead her away.

As they made their way across the ground, suddenly Raelynn gasped. "Looky!"

"What?"

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at a round, fluffy flower not a foot away. Being from the arctic, she hadn't seen much of vegetation in her life, and definitely not flowers.

"That's a dandy-lion."

"Why do they call em lions?" she wondered aloud.

"I dunno. They sure don't _look_ like lions."

"They're pretty!" she proclaimed.

"They are, huh?" he agreed. He bent down and picked it. "Didja know that they grant wishes?"

She gasped. "They _do_?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh! You make a wish, then you blow on it. Then the little fluffy… things take your wish and takes it somewhere magic, then it grants it!"

"_Really_?" she breathed in amazement.

"Mm-hm." He held it out to her. "You wanna wish?"

She nodded eagerly and took it. She held it out in front of her for a moment. "I wish we'll always be friends." And she blew on it.

"Me too!" he took one as well. "And I wish we'll always be together."

"Me too!"

Their wished made, they continued on. They didn't have to worry about falling in the water; they could swim easily. They often swam around the rocks in the way; too hard to climb without thumbs or feet.

They arrived soon as the ship, and they went up the stair-ish things they'd made to make it easier for he and Raz, who couldn't use their feet (or lack thereof) to climb the gangplank vines. Once they got up (it took a little, as Rae was a little nervous at using this unknown device thing), they were just in time to see Gupta, with his arm around a little badger sow, call out to Squint, who was holding hands with another rabbit kit "Hey Squint. Whose your _girlfriend_?"

**Comments? Anyone notice something about all the seals names I've picked? See if you can figure it out. Oh, and if you haven't read Christmas Fears, what I'm talk about is Dilynn, Katelynn, Rosalynn, Flynn (who you all know I didn't come up with), and now, Raelynn. Anyone?**

**Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! I know, it's been almost a week! I don't know what's wrong with me, I'v3 got a little more than three days to finish this! Eek!**

**Enjoy!**

He was climbing when he first met her. He wasn't really paying much attention, his minding wandering about. As he went about, a small sound caught his attention… it sounded suspiciously like crying. He was curious and kind of concerned; was it one of his friends, whom he treasured very much and couldn't stand to see upset, that was crying?

To say he was surprised to see another little primate perched on a branch a little ways down was an understatement. She seemed panicked; sobbing nearly hysterically, knees brought up to her chest and shaking badly.

Gunner tilted his head; what on earth was she doing here? And, more importantly, who the heck was she?

He crept downwards carefully, no sense in startling her further. As he got closer, he was quite surprised by her color. She was pure white, not a speck of other color. T looked soft, delicate and kind of fluffy, like freshly fallen snow.

"Hey, um-"

The other little ape squeaked and jumped, raising her head. Her face was tear stained, large pale blue eyes filled right to the brim with fresh tears, this time of fear.

"Don't worry…" he soothed. "I- I won't hurt you."

She sniffled. "R… Really?"

"Yep." He sat down beside her. "What's wrong? Why're ya cryin like that?"

The little girl sniffed again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I… I can' find my mommy."

"'m sorry." He patted her shoulder, giving the poor girl a sympathetic look as she sobbed nearly silently. "What happened?"

"We-" she choked on a sob and rubbed one eye. "We were chased by leopards. I… I didn't see what happened." He winced, an idea coming to mind, but didn't dare voice it.

Had to get her mind off this somehow… distract her. He couldn't help if he didn't know even half the story with her blubbering like this. Not that he blamed her… he'd be torn up too if his mother was suddenly separated from him during a leopard attack… who would be able to assume anything but the worst? "So what's your name?"

"A- Angel…" it really fit her. With her soft pure white fur, like clouds, and eyes of sky blue… she did look rather angelic, sweet and pure. "What's yers?"

"I'm Gunner." He introduced. "Ya wanna come back to my place? Maybe my mom can help with…" he paused. "You know."

She nodded. "But… what about your dad?"

He winced, a look of pain flashing over his face, eyes growing sad. "…He died when I was just a baby." He replied quietly.

"I'm sorry." She said quickly.

"Oh… it's ok." He waved her off, but still looked a little hurt. "Now come on!"

He took her home, and Amethyst promised to help search after having her explain over breakfast, putting Lily and Jake, his twin elder siblings, in charge as she went off to search. They let him and Angel go play, teasing that they not 'have too much fun'. Both children were confused; how could there be such a thing as too much fun?

Putting it aside, he went about showing her to the bog. "So… Gunner?"

He looked over at her, still slightly taken aback by her unusual, yet beautiful, coloring. "Yeah Angie?"

She giggled and blushed. "Where're we headed?"

He climbed over a rock, her following. "To our pirate ship."

"Ooooooh…" she sounded entranced. "That sounds cool! What's it like?"

"Well, it's this really big piece of rock in the middle of some water" he started. "And- what're you doing?"

Angel had stopped, gazing up at a tree. "What?"

"Isn't it pretty?" she cooed, seemingly dazed.

"What?"

"That flower!" she pointed. It was a pale, pastel pink orchid, growing somehow in a tangle of vines high above. The middle of the flower was heart shaped, indicating it's species. A cupid arrow orchid! "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I just love cupid arrow's! My mom says my dad gave her one when they first met!" she sighed dreamily; she loved that story, even though she found it pretty gross. He'd presented her with a whole bunch of them when they were mere teenagers, and they'd been together ever since.

She was so caught up in the memory/story, she didn't even notice her new friend leaving her side, carefully making his way up the tree.

She jumped a little and squeaked in surprise when there was a sudden tap on her shoulder. She turned to him, and her blue eyes promptly widened. "Oh…" she sighed so happily, smiling widely, showing her perfect teeth in an innocent, joyful smile. The other young primate held the flower out to her, watching her reaction happily. "Thank you!" she threw her arms around him, before taking the beautiful blossom and tying it to a flowering vine, putting it on her head like a crown.

"Whaddaya think?"

"Ya look pretty." He covered his mouth, brown eyes wide, blushing. That wasn't supposed to slip through! Uh oh… what would she think? Would she be…

"Aww…" she looked down at her reflection. "I do?"

"U-Um…" he gulped, nervous. He couldn't lie to her and say no; that would hurt her feelings! But… he didn't want her to know that he… but still… oh what the heck? "Yeah. You do."

"Thanks!" and she was hugging him again. "I 'preciate it." She murmured into his fur. He was a good friend; he'd been able to calm her down, and had offered to show her their private play place; she'd heard from that older ape (Lily, was it?) that this bog was forbidden. Now he'd given her a flower (not just any flower, a _cupid's arrow orchid_! That was a big deal!), and called her pretty!

He hesitantly hugged back for a minute. "Uh… you- you're welcome." After a moment, he gently pushed her back. "Let's go. You can see the butterfly field from the crow's nest!" and they were off again.

When they arrived, Angel couldn't help being blown away. This was so… so… she couldn't even find words for it! The cannons were incredible, and the below deck was well furnished, with a set of little chairs and a large piece of wood for a table. The masts were in all the right places, perfectly spread apart, but the vines above very safe; they wouldn't break. It was perfect.

As they snacked on some sweet honey comb (Angel had no idea where he'd gotten that), he took her up to the crow's nest, that someone named Mickey (apparently short for Mikayla and a big sister of… was it Squint, did he say?) had helped them tie some wood and things together to make a little basket.

As they chatted, it was soon after that a white saber arrived, who startled Angel, but Gunner kept her reassured. She was a friend. She'd called down a polite, timid hello, but was staying in the trees all the same. Just in case.

After Shira's arrival, other animals slowly began appearing, including a little badger girl who had a very shrill scream. Two little seagull chicks came to say hello, the girl with a pretty crown of flowers not unlike her own, both very friendly. After introducing themselves, they went off to chat between themselves on another branch.

After some more conversation, later, the badger's Indian voice called out teasingly, full of mischief "Hey Squint. Whose your _girlfriend_?" she looked down. Who was here now?

**Well? Was it bad?**

**I'm getting seriously annoyed! Y'know how I said I was sick-ish? Well, most of me feels fine now, bt I've still got this stupid cough that won't go away! **** I've had it for a little more than two weeks now; should I be concerned?**

**Anyway, enough of my problems! Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, new chapter! I'm thinking… three or four-ish more. Dunno. They've finally all met, and this is their aftermath of… everything. I'm thinking about doing one of these little scenes for each pair, but you tell me.**

**Enjoy!**

When Raz and Aarjay arrived on the ship, they weren't greeted by a happy 'crew', as Raz had thought, and hoped, they would. She'd had more than enough fighting for one day.

Gupta and Squint were glaring at each other, both looking seriously peeved with one another. Her other friends were gathered around in a circle, ready to grab them and drag them apart if necessary. She noticed with curiosity the other new animals amongst them; had she not been the only one to make a new friend? Obviously. Maybe they wouldn't be mad after all.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Says who! And why were you holding her hand?!" Gupta smirked.

"Says me! And what about _you_ huh?" the rabbit demanded. "_You_ had yer arm around 'er! Ya sure _yer_ not the one with a girlfriend?"

"I do not!" he defended. "Jezzabelle's justa friend!"

"Suuuure. That's what you say _now_."

Raz had had enough. "HEY!" Aarjay jumped at the unexpected outburst. All eyes turned to the two joeys. "Whas goin on?" she immediately wished she hadn't asked, as the two in question started yelling at each other again. Raz rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Would those two ever stop?

"HEY!" this time, it wasn't her. The little girl rose an eyebrow at Aarjay. "Woul' ye knock i' off? Yer makin th' poor Sheila 'pset!"

Raz smiled. "Thanks Aarjay. Bu'-" she stepped up and batted the two apart. "Theh figh' like this lots. Iss'… norm'l."

"Realla?"

"Yup."

"Well… whaddaya know?" he looked around at the assorted group. "So who's who in this lot?"

"Well, these two're Squin' an Gupta" She went on to explain who was who. The two forgot their little quarrel, and soon, everyone was playing and getting along. The new kids relaxed after a while around Shira; she was actually very nice. At first glance, you'd think her white, but really, that was untrue. Her underbelly and lower sides were white, and as it grew higher, she became silver and gray, with black stripes fanning down her back, and winding up her legs.

When they stopped for a late snack/early lunch at about 11:30, they gathered at the watering hole, sharing fruit.

Raz looked over and Aarjay from where they sat on a leaf blanket, a bowl of fruit between them that her brother had put together for them, sipping juice out of an orange through a reed straw. "So Aarjay."

"Aye Sheila?"

He offered her a handful of grapes, and she gladly took them, their fingers meeting for a moment. They both blushed, pulling back. "Ye neva did tell meh wha yer stor'eh is 'xactly."

"Well…" he took another spoon of melon. "Weh moved cuz mah sista… go' inta s'me trub'l."

"Like wha?"

"Rum'r 'ad i'… well, sheh did some'n sheh wasn' s'pposed ta with s'me guy sheh knew. Ah dunno wha, theh wouldn' tell me. Aneh'way, 'parrently, some'm bout a joey comin round 'er some'n."

"A new brotha 'er sista."

He shook his head. "No' exactly. Sheh… _she'd_ beh th' mum."

Raz tilted her head. "Huh?"

"Ah dunno. Aneh'way, weh 'cided ta move cuz sheh was bein p'cked on a lot. Weh foun' this place an… well, weh liked i'." he gave her an admiring sideways glance. "Iss'… realla pretty ta look a'."

Her cheeks grew warm as she saw him looking, although she wasn't sure why. She was strangely glad his attention was on her. "So… wha bout you? Why'dja come 'ere?"

"I' was gettin too dry where weh lived. Th' wat'rn hole dried up… mum and dad" her voice cracked a little at the mention of her beloved parents, whom she'd very much upset. "d'cided weh 'ad ta move."

"Oh…" he reached over and laid his hand over her. The she-joey was sure she could see her red cheeks through her fur as he reached up and put a pink flower beside her ear. "Sorr'eh ta 'ear tha. Ah know 'ow 'ard movin 'is."

"Y-Yeah…" she felt so flustered it was a struggle to just get out words. "Bu'… bu' iss' alrigh now. Ah like mah new 'ome. An- An mah fr-friens."

"Righ." He agreed. "Thas always import'nt." He shifted nervously. "Speakin a which, Raz?"

"Aye?"

"Were… were frien's, righ?"

"Well a-a course!" she answered a little too quickly. Darn this stuttering! Why was she so nervous? "Why wouldn' weh be?" didn't he want to be friends? Why was he asking? Was he going to leave? "Ah mean…"

"Good." He didn't seem to notice her nervousness, for he too was anxious. "C-Cuz, um…"

"Yeh?"

"Ah gotcha some'n." she sat up a little straighter, suddenly more alert, excited.

"Ye do? Wha?"

"Close yer eyes." He instructed. "Iss' a s'prise." She did as he said. He got up and hopped behind her, grabbing the little wooden box thing. He opened it and pulled out the contents. He sure hoped she like it…

Raz felt something snake around her neck, grinning in excitement, but managed to keep her eyes shut, practically bouncing in excitement. "Ca'I op'n em."

"No' yet…" after a few more seconds, he seemed done. "Ok."

She did and promptly gasped in wonder. There, tied securely around her neck, was a strand of seaweed, the smoothness of it giving it away. It was strung with a collection of tiny little shells, all pink, purple, or white. And there, right in the middle, was a perfectly carved wooden heart, with little pink flowers glued around the edges. In the middle, one word was carved. _Us_. When she flipped it over, there, were three little signs. _A + R_.

"Oh Aarjay…" she couldn't even find words. "'Ow did… when did…"

"'Ad mah big sista make i' fer meh earli'ah." He figured, if anyone, his (slightly boy-crazy) teenaged sister would know what to get his new friend, who he really liked being with for some reason. It was as if they already had a connection… he wanted to make her his friend forever. Always be with her… it was almost like magnets, drawn to each other somehow. "Though ye'd like i'." he swallowed nervously. "D-Do ya?"

"_Like _it?" she suddenly sprung up and hugged him. "Ah _love_ i'."

He breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back. "Oh good. Ah- Ah dunno wha Ah'd do if ye didn'."

She smiled, and, before she could stop herself, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

**Well… what did you think? Is this… to fast? Anyone? Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Sorry for posting at, like, midnight, but I got it done, so…**

**Enjoy!**

The seven sets of kids lay sprawled out on the grass, staring up at the stars, which seemed to be shining extra bright just for them.

Raz and Aarjay were snuggled close to keep each other warm in the chilly night air, holding paws in between them and gazing up at the galaxies, pointing out different pictures. "Look! Tha'n looks li' a koala!"

Raz giggled and tilted her head, effectively putting it all the closer to his. "I' kina does!" she reached up and fingered her new necklace, which, without thanking she'd thanked him by kissing him briefly on the cheek. He'd responded by fainting briefly with a sense of overwhelming joy and disbelief.

She scanned the heavens for another image. After a moment, she gasped. "Oh _wow_…"

"Wha?" Aarjay asked. "Whatcha see Sheila?"

"A heart! Look!" he glanced up. Seemingly directly above their little valley, the stars were arranged in a perfect twinkling heart.

"_Woah_…" he breathed in amazement, both sitting up. "Thas…"

A happy gasp nearby made them look the other way. "_Look_!" Lisa, with Squint's arm around her shoulders, cried out, pointing. "A shooting star!" they all looked. Sure enough , a glitter ball of silver, with a smear of glimmer streaking behind it, was slowly gliding across the sky… right through the heart in a sideways direction.

"Quick!" Aarjay looked frantically at Raz. "Make a wish! 'Fore iss' outta sigh!" she looked at him questioningly. "Don'tcha know?!" he exclaimed. "Ye make a wish, an th' star gran's i'."

"Realla?"

"Yup. Like dandeh'lions."

"…Righ then." They both closed their eyes. "Ah wish w'll always be t'getha." The two looked at each other in shock. It was like they could read each other's minds! They were such a perfectly matched pair of friends…

After a while of more making up/hunting for constellations, the kids began to get tired, yawning every few moments until bidding one another farewell.

Raz, still terrified at seeing her mother after their angry quarrel that morning, insisted Aarjay come home with her, gripping his fingers tightly in anxiety. Both were secretly glad for an excuse to hold hands, although they still couldn't figure out why.

Aarjay had reminded Raz of the wonderful holiday, but they were just kids! Only five. Surely all those myths of falling in love and things as such wouldn't apply to five year olds.

…Would it?

Nah, ridiculous.

When they arrived back, the cave was quiet. A fire keeping everything warm was lit in the circle of stones, her parents cuddled up beside it. They both sat quietly, not noticing the two. They seemed content enough, but Lalli''s eyes were still fragile and kind of broken, shattered.

"Um…" they both looked over. Raz took a deep breath. No turning back now that she'[d opened her mouth. "…M- Mummy? Ca'I talk ta ya?"

Lalli was quiet for a moment. She didn't trust herself not to start crying; her precious daughter's spiteful glare and heart wrenching words were still fresh in her mind. But she figured she owed it to her to at least hear what she had to say. "Course ye c'n."

"Righ then." Blayke released his hold on her and stood up. "Ah'll leave y' two 'lone." And he was gone.

"Mummy…" the purple joey hopped closer till she was looking directly up at the seven-almost-eight foot adult. "I… Ah…" that was when she started to cry. She just couldn't help it. All the regret that she'd been trying to ignore all day came suddenly flooding into her mind and heart, and she lost her control. The little girl bowed her head sadly; it'd be a miracle if she was ever forgiven.

"Oh Sheila…" she reached down and picked her up, holding her to her chest so she could hear the calming, familiar heartbeat that she'd been listening to since she was born. She knew that would help soothe her.

"Oh mummy, Ah'm s' sorr'eh!" she wailed. "Ah didn' mean i'! Ah w's jus mad an… an please don' 'ate me!" she buried her face in her soft honey colored fur. "Groun meh fer life, 'gnore me fereva! Jus please don't 'ate me!"

"_Hate_ you?!" she nodded fearfully, tiny paws gripping her fur, afraid that if she let go, she'd push her away and give her the same cold glare she'd given her that morning. "Oh Raz…" the joey was surprised to get a brief, comforting cuddle, before feeling a familiar kiss planted on her head. "Ah coul' _neva_ hate ya. Yer mah baby… Ah'd soona lit th' worl' end 'fore Ah hated mah lit'l girl."

She sniffled and finally looked up at her, golden eyes big and filled to the very brim with saltwater, river rapids running freely down her cheeks. "R-" she choked on a sob. "Realla?"

She chuckled and nuzzled her. "A _course_! Yer mah baby!" she kissed her forehead. "Nothin coul' _eva_ stop meh fr'm lovin ya. Nothin a' all."

Raz smiled as Lalli reached down carefully with one hand, keeping her wrapped securely in the other arm, wiping away her tears. "There weh are." She said. "Thas bett'ah. No m're tears. The way i' shoul' be." The child nodded her agreement.

"Oh, mummy! Mummy!" she suddenly looked excied, making Lalli smile. Leave it to five-year-olds to change moods so quickly… "Ya gotta meet Aarjay!"

"Who now?"

She nodded at her new friend, who was standing there still, watching the mother and daughter with a quiet, happy expression. When he saw them looking, he waved at Lalli, calling over a polite "'Allo Ms. Raz's mum."

The adult giggled. "Oh, don' beh so f'rmal! Ye can jus call meh Lalli. 'Mon ova 'ere mate." He did as she said. Once there, she patted his head fondly and ruffled his ears. "Ah like ya Aarjay." She told him. "An when Ah say Ah trus ya, Ah ain' makin no mistake, am Ah?" she, of course, was teasing, but also wanted to make sure he wouldn't hurt her daughter's feelings in the future. She could already tell they would have one.

"Nope!" he agreed happily. "Ah realla like Raz!" the mother resisted from squealing like a teenager. He, of course, didn't realize the… _other_ meaning behind what he had said, but she could tell he would mean it both ways… some day.

"Ah realla like y' too Aarjay!" Raz piped up. "He's real nice mummy! Lotsa fun ta play with! Ooh! An look wha 'e gave me!" she grabbed the necklace and held up the main decoration for display, which twirled a little, revealing both sides.

"Awwww…" she cooed, petting them both findly on the head. "Yer a big sweetie, aren' ya?" he giggled sheepishly and wrung his hands, obviously blushing, but said nothing.

Her expression suddenly became serious. "Aarjay? Lit'ln, when're ya s'possed ta be 'ome?"

"Um…" he gulped, suddenly remembering. "S-Sunset…"

"Sunse'?!"

"Sorry." He instantly apologized.

"Oh…" Lalli took a breath. Getting angry would do no good. "Iss' alrigh. Ye c'n jus stay 'ere t'nigh, an w'll take ya 'ome in th' mornin. Soun' good?"

He nodded slowly. "Bu' mummy!" Raz suddenly jumped into the conversation again. "Where's 'e gonna sleep?"

"Well" she thought about it for a split second. "Yer jus gonna hafta share yer room. It'll beh like'a sleepova."

"Yay!"

As it was past bedtime, they were soon tucked away in Raz's room. The mother extended the bed a little with some extra leaves, she wanted them to have plenty of room so they could be comfortable. Giving Aarjay a pillow, she kissed them both on the forehead. "G'night kids."

"Nigh…"

After she was gone, they both turned to each other. "Happ'eh Val'ntines day…"

**No, that's not **_**quite**_** the end. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Just a couple more chapters, please don't hate me for it being a little late! Review please!**


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